The present invention relates to skin care compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to skin care compositions with improved aesthetic and physical characteristics.
A soft, supple and flexible skin has a marked cosmetic appeal and is an attribute of normal functioning epidermis. The outer layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, can, however, become dry and flaky following exposure to adverse climatic conditions or excessive contact with detergents or solvents which result in the loss of skin moisturization with the further result that the skin loses its soft, supple and flexible characteristics. Various emollients such as fats, phospholipids and sterols have been utilized in various products to soften dry skin with varying degrees of success. Many of these products in lotion, cream or anhydrous format have not been perceived as cosmetically elegant by the consumer. The term "cosmetically elegant" can be used to describe a product which is attractively appearing, is non-greasy, non-tacky, has good skin feel, is spreadable and smooth.
Skin care products in lotion, cream and anhydrous format have always contained non-volatile oils and/or mixtures of non-volatile oils for their skin conditioning properties but many of these products have therefore been lacking in some of the above described cosmetic properties desired by some consumers, in particular, the non-greasy characteristic.